Point Pleasant Rail Bridge, Railway bridge between Point Pleasant, West Virginia and Kanauga, Ohio.
The Point Pleasant Rail Bridge spans across the Ohio River between West Virginia and Ohio, connecting the two states with a steel structure using two different truss designs. The main span employs a Pennsylvania Through Truss while Parker truss approaches provide support across the wide river.
The bridge opened in 1886 as a milestone in construction safety, with no worker deaths during its entire building process. This achievement was remarkable for a major project of that scale in the late 1800s.
The structure represents how rail transportation shaped the region's industrial growth, connecting communities across the Ohio River through freight and passenger service.
The bridge serves as a working rail line operated by the Kanawha River Railroad for freight services between the two states. Keep in mind that this is an active railroad, so public access may be limited depending on train operations.
After the Silver Bridge collapse in 1967, this railway bridge temporarily took on passenger service with scheduled trains running between Point Pleasant and nearby communities. This unexpected chapter revealed the bridge's importance to the region beyond freight alone.
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